by E. E. Borton
“I’ll be damned,” said Michelle. “Dallas was right.”
“About?”
“You having feelings for her.”
“It was that obvious?”
“Apparently, to everyone else but me. I’m sorry, too. I’m just angry and tired, Ryan.”
“It’s okay, Michelle. You have every right to be angry. But I don’t think it’d be a good idea to tell Tom and Dallas about our conversation.”
“Don’t worry, I didn’t plan on it. But you still haven’t answered my question. Where were you tonight?”
“I was with Derek.”
“Derek Mathews?”
“I’ll explain everything downstairs,” said Ryan, “But you need to answer a question as well.”
“What is it?”
“Steve will be here in a few hours. He’s going after everyone who had anything to do with killing his men. I’m going with him, Michelle. And I’m not going as an FBI agent. Do you understand?”
“I don’t think I want to do this job anymore,” said Michelle, “but I’m going to finish this one. So if your question has something to do with me helping, the answer is yes. Hell, yes.”
22
My Brother’s Keeper
Ryan opened his eyes and immediately sat up in bed. He was in an anxious place of waking, unsure of where he was or what he was supposed to be doing. He looked around becoming more familiar with his surroundings. For a brief moment, he thought Kristina’s death may have just been a nightmare, but quickly deflated when he realized it wasn’t. She was still dead.
He managed to find three hours of sleep, but it wasn’t nearly enough. He wondered if Steve had already made it into Atlanta, but the majority of his thoughts were about his meeting with Derek. He had a better understanding of the Marine’s desire to end the lives of everyone involved. Ryan’s original plan of convincing Derek to take the high road and try to avoid bloodshed was nowhere to be found. He headed downstairs for a cup of coffee and found Tom and Dallas already sitting at the table.
“Did you guys get any rest?” asked Ryan.
“No, we figured we’d hit the sack after you left to meet Derek,” said Tom, yawning.
“Steve should be here shortly,” said Ryan. “He’s bringing us some intel on the layout of the Michaels Lab. I want you guys to figure out the best way to get in undetected. If we’re going to face Alex, it’s absolutely critical we get the drop on him. When he figures out we’re there, it has to be too late for him to do anything about it.”
“We can definitely work that out.”
“I knew you could, buddy.”
“So we’re going to Maine?” asked Tom.
“Steve, Dallas, and I are,” said Ryan. “You and Michelle are going to stay here.”
“Are we done?”
“No, the exact opposite of done. I need you two for the other half of the operation.”
“I can’t wait to hear it,” said Tom.
“I’ll go over everything with you when I get back. Seriously, I want you guys to get some sack time. We’re going to be pushing hard and fast from here on out. No telling when we’re going to find time to sleep once this ball starts rolling.”
The lead agent downed his first cup of coffee and grabbed a second for the road. He poured a cup for Derek, not knowing exactly what kind of fuel a super soldier required. He pulled into Jennifer’s driveway and walked to the creek bank as instructed the night before. The Marine highly skilled in camouflage seemed to materialize out of thin air.
“You look like shit,” said Derek.
“I had a rough night,” said Ryan, handing him the cup. “Are we going to talk out here?”
“No, let’s go inside. Thanks for the coffee.”
“You’re welcome. I take it she doesn’t know you’re hanging out in the woods behind her house every night?”
“No, she doesn’t,” laughed Derek. “It would be too distracting for the both of us. Plus, I can see anyone or anything approaching the house from out here. So what happened?” asked Derek, taking a seat in the living room.
“Colonel Brown discovered the location of our scientist last night. He and Alex killed her, the men protecting her, and another civilian helping our cause.”
“I told you he’d do anything to preserve Didache,” said Derek. “Are you starting to understand my apprehension about letting them live?”
“Yeah, I am,” said Ryan.
“Was this scientist a friend of yours?” asked Derek, picking up on the tone and speed of his response.
“Yes, she was,” answered Ryan, confirming Derek’s suspicion.
“She,” said Derek. “Was she more than a friend?”
“That really doesn’t matter.”
“That answers my question, and yes, it does matter.”
“Are we here to work on a plan or talk about our feelings?” asked Ryan.
“Wow, you were more than friends.”
“Derek, seriously, drop it,” said Ryan, becoming irritated.
“Sorry, just trying to –” paused Derek, leaning back into the couch and raising his hands to his face as if he was in prayer. “Kristina? Those motherfuckers killed Kristina?”
“Yes, they did,” answered Ryan. “And Scott Wilson.”
Derek leaned forward and sat motionless with his head in his hands. His eyes were shut tight, and his jaw tightened as he clenched his teeth. Ryan could see the pain in his face.
“She was a very sweet girl, Ryan,” said Derek, coming out of his trance. “I take it you knew her well.”
“I didn’t, but we were working on that,” said Ryan, opening up slightly. “It was a little difficult considering our situation, but I agree with you. She was a very sweet girl. She certainly didn’t deserve a bullet in her head.”
“Fuck!” said Derek, standing in anger, “I’m going to kill Colonel Brown slow. As soon as I take out Joshua, that evil son of a bitch is next.”
“We need to get to him first,” said Ryan. “If he hasn’t given the order to destroy every file on Didache and kill the other three scientists, he’ll do it soon. We need to go get him now and I need you to come with me.”
“That’s not going to happen,” said Derek. “I told you the only way I’m leaving Jennifer is if I’m going after Joshua. There’s no fucking way I’m leaving her behind with him out there. He’s here, Ryan. I think he came into town last night.”
“What do you mean he’s here? Joshua? You said he’d be hiding out in the mountains for a few more days.”
“I can’t explain how I know or exactly where he is, but he’s close. I can feel him.”
“Why is he here?”
“His intuition is much stronger than the rest of ours,” explained Derek. “He always picked up on our stress, pain or fear better than we did. I’m not saying he can read minds, but he can feel when something significant changes. There’s no way I’m leaving her, Ryan. Not now. I’m sorry, but you’re on your own with that one.”
“I need you to take Alex,” said Ryan, pleading his case. “I can get us in the lab, but I don’t think I can get us past him. I need you. As soon as we remove him and the Colonel, we’ll focus every asset on finding Joshua.”
“That’s not good enough. I’m not leaving her. End of story.”
“I told you I’d come back with a plan and I have one,” said Ryan. “At least hear me out. If you still think Jennifer will be in danger, then I’ll press on without you.”
“You have my attention,” said Derek.
The two men talked for half an hour before Ryan left alone. He still wasn’t sure if Derek would commit to the idea of going after the Colonel first, but he couldn’t waste valuable time trying to convince him it was the best approach. He understood why he wanted to stay behind and protect Jennifer, but the head of the snake needed to be cut off before anyone involved would be safe again.
He pulled into the driveway of the FBI house and noticed two unfamiliar SUVs parked on the curb. He heard Steve’s
voice in the kitchen when he walked through the front door.
“Speak of the devil,” greeted Steve. Tom and Dallas were sitting beside him at the table.
“It always amazes me how fast you get around,” said Ryan, shaking his hand.
“I tend to move a little more quickly when I’m pissed,” said Steve. “Your package is upstairs with a few of my guys. We managed to get his teeth fixed while he was a guest at our facility.”
“Hopefully, he’ll cooperate and keep them.”
“Oh, I don’t think you’re going to have a problem with him. He’s been extremely helpful giving us intel on the layout of the lab. I didn’t have the heart to tell him he’s actually coming with us.”
“I’ll take care of that,” said Ryan. “We need to move fast on this. When can we have everything in place and everyone geared up? I’d like to leave this afternoon.”
“This afternoon?” asked Steve. “I guess that’s doable. How about you and I have a little chat?”
“Sure, we can talk after I go over the plans,” said Ryan, missing the hint.
“No, I think you and I need to talk now. The deck?” asked Steve, less as a question and more as a demand.
“Five minutes, Steve. We need to get rolling.”
The two friends walked outside, and Steve wasted no time starting the conversation. “You don’t have to do this.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Ryan, cocking his head.
“You don’t need to go with us,” continued Steve. “We’ve got a way inside, and we can get to Alex before he knows we’re even there. I don’t care how fast or strong he is, he’s not bulletproof. Once he’s out of the picture, the Colonel will be easy picking. I hope you don’t take this wrong, but we don’t need you.”
“Don’t underestimate his abilities,” said Ryan. “But I’m not going with you because you need me; I’m going because I need to end this.”
“Do you need to end this or end him?”
“You can’t do one without doing the other,” said Ryan. “You know that.”
“I agree, but why do you need to do it?”
“This conversation is about over, Steve. I’m going. When did you become so philosophical about killing bad guys?”
“I’m not, but I’m also not an FBI agent. And you won’t be either if you do this.”
“It has nothing to do with me being an FBI agent. I suspect my days or even hours are numbered before the deputy director pulls the plug on my team and my career.”
“But you don’t know that for a fact, Ryan. If he’s dirty, then he can be exposed. And if you’re the guy doing the exposing, then your career stays intact. You won’t be very popular, but you’ll still have your principles.”
“What’s this really about, Steve?” asked Ryan, becoming impatient.
“It’s about crossing that line and never being able to step back. It’s about you risking everything you’ve worked your ass off to achieve since you joined the Marines.”
“Haven’t you been paying attention?” asked Ryan. “I didn’t cross it, they did. They’ve been using me and my team the second I accepted the assignment. All of this has been orchestrated by Colonel Brown and my boss. We were never supposed to take any of them alive. They simply used us as government assassins to secure a billion dollar investment. This isn’t about trying to expose a conspiracy anymore. This is about –”
“Revenge,” interrupted Steve.
“Justice,” replied Ryan. “Justice for Peter, Richard, Kristina, Scott, and everyone else who died at the hands of the real monsters. Their answer to the problem they created is to kill anyone that threatens the project. And they’re obviously not going to stop because of my efforts. The victims will never have justice if Colonel Brown is alive.”
“Once again, buddy, I don’t need you to accomplish that goal. I’m just trying to figure out why you need to be the one to kill him. Is it because they killed Kristina?”
“Ah, now we’re getting to the real reason for this little chat,” said Ryan. “You really think I just want revenge for what they did to her?”
“Like I said, when you cross that line, you can’t step back. I know you two had feelings for each other, but is that enough of a reason to do this? When the dust settles, you may be the one in jail. Where’s the justice in that?”
“I’ll admit to you, Steve, I want to make him pay for what he did to her, but it’s not the reason he needs to die. He’ll beat the system I’m normally willing to accept as flawed. He has a good chance of walking away from this without a scratch. I simply can’t accept that. He’s destroyed too many lives for him to keep his.”
“I’m just worried the last one he destroys will be yours,” said Steve. “Maybe I’m not willing to accept that.”
“I appreciate your concern,” said Ryan, “I really do. But you of all people should know why I need to be the one.”
“Oh, I know why. That’s not what bothers me. What bothers me is what happens after. You and I have spilled the same blood in the same mud, but we did it as Marines. It was our duty. It may not have made it easier to kill another human being, but it did make it easier for us to justify it to ourselves. What you’re about to do is different. Very, very different.”
“You don’t need to protect me from the ugliness of taking a life, Steve. Like you said, we’ve been there before.”
“You’re not listening to me,” said Steve. “I’ve been where we’re about to go many times, but you haven’t. I’m not saying I built my security company on body counts, but in order to make it successful, I’ve had to operate outside the boundaries of the law. You’ve never done that. You’ve always relied on that clean-cut line between the ones that enforce it and the ones who break it. All that goes away when you come with me. Are you ready for that? Are you ready to operate in that gray area?”
“Absolutely,” answered Ryan.
“Okay, just don’t come looking for a job when this is over,” said Steve, smiling. “You’re too high profile.”
*****
Even though the genetic enhancements made him keenly aware of his surroundings, Derek was still human and just as susceptible to sleep deprivation as anyone. The many sleepless nights lying awake and vigilant in the foxhole behind Jennifer’s house were catching up with him. As he walked through the front door of his hideout several miles away, he didn’t notice the man sitting in the dark corner of the blacked out living room.
“Good morning, sunshine,” greeted Joshua, causing Derek to stumble backwards into a table.
“I almost shit myself,” said Derek. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Joshua stood and moved in closer to Derek. “What happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not here because I wanted to take a sixty-mile walk, Derek. I’m here because I felt something was wrong. You know I’m quite sensitive to that.”
In spite of being face to face and alone, Derek knew he couldn’t kill him. He couldn’t even think about it and run the risk of Joshua sensing his aggression. The sociopath always carried a weapon, and Derek’s gun was in another room. If he was to have a chance, it needed to be a complete surprise. But even then, he’d have to find a way to clear his mind and ambush the seasoned predator. Derek told Ryan it would be as simple as walking up to him and putting a bullet in his head, but he knew differently. He was still the best weapon the feds had against Joshua, but the strongest of the four UA Marines would also be the hardest to kill. The only thing Derek could do in the hideout was try to redirect his anger, but more importantly, to not think about Jennifer.
“Everything is fine,” replied Derek. “I went to check on my sister. I spent the night in the loft of her barn. While I was there, Ryan and his team showed up to ask her some questions. They started looking around the property including the building where I was hiding. I was about two seconds away from having to kill them when my sister called out and they left the barn. I was a little stressed.”
>
“A little stressed?” asked Joshua, “You were more than a little stressed. Did your sister know you were there?”
“Of course not. I just needed to put my eyes on her. She worries about me. In fact, I check on my other sister and parents whenever I’m here. None of them know.”
“I can’t begin to tell you how stupid that is,” said Joshua. “Checking on your family is an urge you can actually control. And you need to control it. We’re too close to a resolution to make idiotic mistakes now.”
“Easy with the idiotic and stupid comments. You’ve done a few things to draw unnecessary attention to yourself as well, so enough with the lecture. I’m going to continue checking in on my family, Joshua. In fact, I’ll be looking in on my parents tonight. Don’t worry, everything is fine.”
“Is it?” asked Joshua, as if he knew differently.
“Yes, it is.”
“Really? I only ask because I’ve been waiting here for you since yesterday. Where did you spend the night? I’m getting the sense you were somewhere you don’t want me to know about.”
“Why does it matter where I was?” asked Derek. “I have no idea what you do or where you go when we’re separated. And I don’t really care. Why are you so concerned about where I’ve been?”
“I told you I sensed something was wrong,” said Joshua, moving even closer to Derek. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“As you can see, I am.”
“I don’t understand why you’re being so hostile towards me,” said Joshua. “I came here out of concern.”
Derek lowered his head and took a deep breath. He filled his mind with thoughts about Peter, Richard, and Joshua during better days; the early days of the project when they all felt more like brothers than volunteers for research. He took a seat and asked Joshua to do the same.
“I’m sorry, Joshua. I should be thanking you for checking on me instead of giving you shit. I’m just getting sick and tired of having to look over my shoulder 24 hours a day. I know I’m never going to have my life back, but any life has to be better than the one I’m living now. You’re the only friend I have on this fucked up planet.”
